Fitzhugh raises $304K, loans gubernatorial campaign $500K

State House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh says he’s satisfied with his gubernatorial campaign’s fundraising and believes he will have enough to compete for the Democratic nomination after reporting he raised $304,000 while making a personal $500,000 loan, according to the Times Free Press..”It came from a lot of different sources, small donations,” the West Tennessee banker said Wednesday after filing his disclosure Tuesday with state regulators. “So I was very, very happy with that.”

“I think we can work our plan,” he added.

…Fitzhugh’s campaign reported $681,885 in cash on hand at the end of 2017. He has raised money from any number of prominent and former Democrat officials and state lawmakers that he served with in the General Assembly in a state Republicans now mostly dominate.

Donors include former Gov. Phil Bredesen, now a U.S. Senate candidate, who gave $1,250, as did Bredesen’s wife, Andrea Conte, to Fitzhugh’s campaign. U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., gave $1,000 as did former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Gary Wade and former state Attorney General Bob Cooper.

…The candidate said he believes he will have enough to do “some” television advertising but added, “we’re focusing on the grassroots-type campaign, going everywhere, driving to communities, and then social media is a big part of ours, as well.